Sacrifice
by yas-m
Summary: You said that I was chosen. Well, if I was, then that has to be for something. So if someone has to die, then let it be me. Just please, don't take any more of them. - What if Barbie found out about Julia offering to sacrifice herself to save the town? - for munyo.


Another prompt request, this time from **munyo**. This is set in 2.12 when Julia goes to the Dome to ask it to stop killing people/save Melanie. Slightly AU in terms of "what would Barbie do if he found out". Hope this is what you were looking for and you enjoy it!

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><p><strong>Sacrifice<strong>

_"Where's Julia?"_

_"I don't know… She just got in her Prius and left."_

_"Where to?" _

_"I don't know. She went that way."_

Barbie gets into the only other available car at the high school and drives like crazy. When he had left Melanie's side and didn't find Julia, a strange wave of panic had hit him. Something was off. Something was unnerving and he had to find her.

His search for her ends in an open field by the dome, and as he walks up behind her, she doesn't move, obviously oblivious to his presence. And when he is right behind her, he hears the most terrifying words he has ever heard.

_You said that I was chosen. Well, if I was, then that has to be for something. So if someone has to die, then let it be me. Just please, don't take any more of them._

He feels the blood in his veins boil, with anger, with fear, with panic. _Why would she say that? _He blinks away at the stubborn tears that threaten to spill. He still has not gotten over the events of a few hours ago, of having to carry her lifeless body through the freezing streets, of almost losing her, _again, _and there she was, offering to sacrifice herself.

He takes the last few steps and comes to stand by her side. He does not turn to look at her, nor does he speak to her. Instead, he stands stoically, hands in his pocket and he looks up at the dome. Slightly startled, Julia turns to him. She says his name but he still ignores her.

"You did choose Julia, and she is the best thing that could happen to these people, the only one that can lead this town," Barbie says, slowly turning to her, locking his gaze with hers, "if anyone has to be a sacrifice to save everyone here, if someone has to die, then let it be me."

He repeats her exact words and she shudders. She sees the tears in his eyes and suddenly her own eyes are flooded. She shakes her head at him. "What are you doing?" she asks, her voice cracking with pain.

"What are _you _doing?" he asks her, turning to stand right in front of her, leaving almost no space between their bodies.

"Melanie's your sister. She needs _you_ and you need her," she says and loses the battle against her tears as one rolls down her cheek.

"You're the… _Butterfly Queen,"_ he says with a smile, "Chester's Mill needs _you."_

She shakes her head, "and that's how I can save them."

"That's not how it works," he insists, "a leader needs to lead, not be a martyr."

"I'm doing this for you," she says.

Barbie huffs, his head drops against his chest and now his tears manage to escape. "How… how could you say that? How… how is you sacrificing your life…" he fails to find the words and shakes his head, "I _love _you, Julia. I. Love. You."

He takes both her hands in his and pulls them to his lips. "I… I cannot exist without you. I don't care if they give me all the world's riches, I don't care for anything else than for you to be safe… how can you not know that? I will not… I would rather die than see any harm come to you."

"But she's your sister!" Julia pleads.

"And you're the woman I am madly in love with, the reason I _want _to live," He says.

Julia leans in towards him, clutching the front of his shirt in her hands and he wraps his arms around her, engulfing her in his embrace. He feels her tears wet the front of his shirt. He tightens his arms around her, one hand roaming along her back, the other buried in her wild curls.

"What do we do?" she sobs against his chest and he pulls back gently. Her eyes are downcast, cheeks streaked with tears. He softly lifts her chin up, wipes her chees with his thumbs. He leans down and presses his lips reassuringly against hers. "We will think of something," he promises, "we always will."


End file.
